Nathan Harbutt

The title of this body of work refers to the metaphorical filing cabinet in my mind that holds all of my trauma, sadness and anxieties. In this project, I am attempting to clear out this filing cabinet before you in order to give you a look into my mind and my feelings.

There are therapeutic benefits to photography that help the photographer visualise and process their trauma. Being able to compartmentalise elements of a traumatic experience has helped me to take small steps to evaluating my past personal experiences.

Self-portraiture within domestic spaces has helped me relay feelings of isolation and issues mental health in a way that relates to me and my theme. Feeling heard is very important in self-actualising I hope that through my photographs I can express my inner world to connect with people who care about me.

Although in the moments of self-portraiture I felt lonely and at times immensely sad, retrospectively I can see my progress and shifts in my mental state. While I’m not over what happened to me, I’ve been given an opportunity to look at my trauma in a different, more approachable way, hopefully paving a path for future healing.